General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion

General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion
General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion
Generolo Romualdo Giedraičio artilerijos batalionas
	File:Insignia of the General Romualdas Giedraitis artillery Battalion (Lithuania).jpg Insignia
Active	2000–present
Country	Lithuania
Branch	Lithuanian Land Force
Type	Artillery
Role	Fire support
Size	Battalion
Part of	Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Rukla
Patron	General Romualdas Giedraitis
Equipment	M101 howitzer
Commanders
Current; commander	Major Alvydas Šiuparis
Chief of Staff	Captain Ramūnas Kopcikas
Insignia
Flag

The General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion, equipped with 105mm howitzers, was founded in December 2000, under a joint Lithuanian-Danish project – LITART. The Danish Army provided material and methodical assistance in the founding of the artillery unit.

History

Implementation of the LITART project involved the following four stages:

The first stage (January 2000 – January 2002) – planning, coordination and preparations for the training of personnel for the Artillery Battalion at artillery and logistic schools in Denmark. The Co-ordination Group was established. The Artillery Battalion received the required technical equipment and armaments.
The second stage (January 2002 – January 2003)—training of control group officers, armament officers, logistic specialists at the Danish military artillery and logistic schools. 63 military personnel serving with the Artillery Battalion underwent training in Denmark. Establishment of fire posts at Central Training Area of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Pabradė, Gaižiūnai Training Area in Rukla. The Artillery Battalion received the required artillery equipment, armaments, technical equipment, modern surveillance devices, navigation systems, most advanced computer equipment, ammunition, modern targeting systems like laser system, termovision, nightvision devices, GPS.
The third stage (July 2003 – December 2003)—junior grade commander and specialist training course delivered at the Artillery Battalion in Lithuania. Over 90 junior grade officers (gun commanders, anti-tank observers, signal officers, fire control non-commissioned officers, weather specialist etc.) received training. In 2003 the artillery battalion was attached to the Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade.
The fourth stage (May 2004 – February 2005)—training of servicemen of the initial mandatory military service at the Artillery Battalion in Lithuania. During the stage, all troops serving with the Artillery Battalion will receive training, artillery simulator was set up at the Artillery Battalion. In 2004 the artillery battalion was granted with a name in honor of General Romualdas Giedraitis.

Tasks

Main role of the battalion's is to support infantry. Other units may have mortars, but the artillery battalion uses only heavier weapons. Artillery may provide support in all types of a battle at any time of a day under any weather conditions. Artillery fire may be moved from one shooting area to another and to define the course of the battle.